(17)Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

 

NYU student Matt Pine is devastated when the FBI appears at his dorm room to tell him that his parents, little brother, and sister died while on vacation in Mexico. At first glance, their deaths look natural, but upon closer look, it may not have been so innocent. The Pine family is no stranger to tragedy, though. Matt's older brother is in prison for killing a girl back in their small hometown. His story became sensationalized when Netflix released a documentary about his story, alluding to the fact that they coerced his confession. Matt knows that his father has never believed his son was guilty of murder but was his obsession the cause of his untimely death? And if Danny didn't kill that girl, who did? And were they willing to murder again to keep their secret?

Every Last Fear is a solid debut by an author who wrote under a pseudonym. I am always curious about authors who publish commercially under a pseudonym. Why do they choose to do that? Maybe because they are from the rural Midwest and this story hit a little too close to home? I immediately recognized the "family dies while on vacation in Mexico" plot from this news story. As a girl who was born in Nebraska and grew up in the area, I was excited to see that an author take such detail to make sure that rural Nebraska in an honest way. Especially the nod to a beloved Nebraska restaurant, Runza. We just went "home" for Easter and made it a point to seek one out. The story itself was suspenseful and fast-paced. Matt Pine is a good main character. Smart, resourceful, and sympathetic. The author did the "before" and "after" style of storytelling and it worked. You get to know the Pine family leading up to their deaths and it made you even more invested in what happened to them. This is one that I did not have figured out, but I sure did like it. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - Every Last Fear is one of those stories that will hook you from the very first page and you won't be able to stop thinking about it until long after the book is over. Every book lover's dream!

Details: 

• Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
• On Facebook
• Pages: 368
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication Date: 3/2/2021
• Buy it Here!
• Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.